Fighting words for the EPA

Washington, D.C. -- Speaking to a room full of lumberyard owners and LBM suppliers, Representative Bill Johnson of Ohio's 6th Congressional District and a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee made it very clear how he felt about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"It's the most out-of-control regulatory body in Washington," he said, in remarks that helped kick off the 2013 Legislative Conference of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) and the Windows and Doors Manufacturers Association (WDMA).

Showing knowledge of the details of the EPA's lead paint rules, Johnson called for a reinstatement of the opt-out rule, allowing homeowners, if there are no pregnant women or young children in the house, to allow remodelers to replace and repair windows without the extra lead-safety measures.

The EPA's Lead: Renovation, Repair, and Painting (LRRP) Rule was introduced in 2010 and requires remodeling and renovation firms that perform work on pre-1978 housing to be EPA certified.

"When the EPA retroactively alters a rule without justification, there is a serious problem," Johnson said. "The removal of the opt-out provision will cost over $300 million in compliance costs, and really pushes consumers to deal with vendors who don't comply with the rules."

Johnson also took aim at the Affordable Care Act, of which he said: "It's going to die of its own weight."